The new ideal for suburban development: creating community

Real Estate Weekly, July 29, 1998 by Arthur Collins, II

Like the towns of decades ago, urban developments were built in synch with people's needs, combining mixed-use in residential developments that made it possible to live, work, play, shop, dine and attend school in the same area. These developments encourage diversity, have easy access to mass transit and are pedestrian-friendly. They also include public and community spaces that foster interaction and are characterized by a respect for nature, history and architectural standards.

There are three trends that will encourage development of mixed-use urban projects over the next several years. The first is population growth, particularly in the Northeast corridor. Projections are that there will be 300 million people in the United States by 2010. About 20 percent of that increase will occur in the Northeast, where there simply isn't enough land left to house all of those people in traditional urban tracts. Development must, therefore, be denser.

The second trend is fragmentation of families. Data suggests that because families are fragmenting, the number of households is increasing at four times the rate of population.

The third trend is fueled by the growth of technology, which has dramatically lessened dependence on commuting and working at a 9-to-5 job in a corporate office. At present, there are 14 million self-employed Americans, 8.3. million who are independent contractors and 2.3 million who work each day through temporary agencies. More than 16 percent of the workforce consists of independent agents.

Predictions are that one-third of the U.S. population will be telecommuting out of the home. They, along with growing number of independent workers, require flexible living and work space, want to live in and near cities, sometimes near train stations, where their clients and co-workers are located, and require quick access to everything from gourmet take-out to copy shops.

These trends will add impetus to the creation of new village-type neighborhoods and fuel the redevelopment of inner ring suburbs and older cities near major mass transportation where there are developed public amenities and services, including recreational, medical, social, retail, etc.

The cities of Stamford, White Plains, New Rochelle and Yonkers are a few which have already begun to benefit from New Urbanism through downtown revitalization projects and/or waterfront development.

Projects that fall under the definition of New Urbanism begin with a cohesive master plan, such as the one recently developed by the progressive City of Yonkers.

Collins Enterprises was recently selected as developer of a 16-acre downtown waterfront parcel located near a train station, that will be known as "Hudson Park." The plan features a residential component of 40 live-work apartments, 20 townhomes and 180 rental apartments; 17,000 square feet of retail, specialty shops and restaurants; 28,000 square feet of professional office space and parking for 192 cars.

The City of Yonkers, County of Westchester, State of New York and the federal government have so far committed more than $75 million to improvements near the site, including restoration of a pier, street-scape improvements, the development of Westchester County Esplanade Park and a proposed new main branch of the Yonkers Public Library,

The Yonkers plan epitomizes what dedication to the goals of New Urbanism can achieve: new vitality, a sense of community, public facilities and improved access to transit for residents of the area in just a few short years.